Chapter 5 Happy Days in Dusseldorf, Being Demobbed.

Dusseldorf
I returned to Germany from my leave, to Dusseldorf. There were 2 tall buildings left in Dusseldorf, we occupied them both. They were civilian buildings occupied for a couple of months. I was called into the office by the Sergeant Major and I was told I was no longer a Lance Corporal, but a fusilier again, demoted for no reason- just given the order. So I told him I wanted to leave the regiment. The next day it was on orders for me to report to Battalion HQ at Cologne, with another man who also had orders to leave the regiment. I was so pleased! We collected our kit bags and weapons without ammunition of course, and went to Cologne. It took us all day to get there on a 2 tonner. We arrived there and reported to Battalion HQ. After we’d had a meal and met the officers, we received orders, to go to the 53rd Welsh Division Battle School as instructors and trainers for the new officers and soldiers coming from England. Off we went on a 3 tonner again. We arrived back at this Divisional Battle School where we were shown our room. We looked out of the window and I remarked to this chap Mike that I didn’t believe what I was seeing, that Dűsseldorf was over the other side of the river! One of the other soldiers confirmed that we were in Oberkassel and indeed that was Dűsseldorf on the opposite side of the Rhine. I remarked how absurd the army had been, in sending us up to Cologne for a 14 or 15 hour journey, just to send us back again, when they could have sent us straight over the river on a ferry boat, taking an hour instead! WE settled down with the new squad. Hear I met Bill Butt from Swansea. He was a corporal-instructor who was to be a long time friend for very many years to come.

We performed many demonstrations in old German buildings which had been bombed out, demonstrating throwing grenades, making loud frightening noises to show authority when making raids. We did this for a few weeks, until Sergeant Bennett came along. He asked us whether we would like to be in his special police unit, looking after German civilians in the school all day. We’d have to patrol the school in turn, on duty 2 hours on and 4 hours off. That was all day every day. So that became our job from then on.

One night I decided I’d had enough of this, so I decided to get a little girlfriend. I was down along the Rhine on my won. I had started talking to a couple of girls, trying to speak to them in German. I met Mike when I returned to my room and told him about the girls, to which he replied that he’d also met 2 girls, one a blonde and the other a brunette. Never met the 2 girls I had met again, but I did go out with the brunette — Gisela, who is still with me as my wife today. I didn’t go to Gisela’s house for a long time, she was a bit shy. We always went to Ingrid’s flat (the blonde), for a nice chat. Mike was a smashing chap, it wasn’t long after that thee went on leave to England, met his old girlfriend and ended up marrying her. Ingrid was heart-broken.

After about 12 really good months, we went to guard a POW camp in Paderborn. Around Senelage, where half the German troops were trained, there was about 50 square miles of sand, like a desert, where they and we trained. We were there in Senelage for about 6 months, we had to control the compounds, each one had a machine gun tower on each corner and there were quite a few towers. Ronnie was in one tower, I was in another. We used to sing to each other, we played around on the telephones instead of looking after our camps! We had search lights which covered the complete compound.

Another regiment was already there in Paderborn, and our duties were to guard prison compounds at night. What a session it was, we had to do so many hours on and so many hours off. At the bottom of this wood we had a little engine that used to make power to drive the search lights. It was a bit of fun with these search lights, they weren’t very big, probably about 2 feet in diameter but they produced a lot of light and we had to keep using them from each corner of the compound to sort out where the prisoners were, and what they were up to. There was no escort inside the camp; it was all outside the camp. Every week we used to lose so many prisoners. In one of these compounds, they had a women’s compound, in this compound was the ATS, the British Army Girls. They were very strict. WE had to take civilian parties into these compounds to do different jobs. Some of these women got pregnant, know one knew how! While there I had an in-growing toe nail. I had to have an operation in a hospital. I was there for 3 weeks. Afterwards I was on light duties only. I persuaded to my Sergeant, Jack Wall, to let me go to Dűsseldorf for a week, so I could see Gisela. How I managed to get my boot over my bandaged toe I don’t know. I managed to hitch hike down to Dűsseldorf where I stayed with Gisela and her family. I convinced them that it would be better if I were in civilian clothes, so I borrowed her brother, Heinz’s suit.

While there, Gisela, Ingrid and I decided to go for a day trip down to the Dragonfels. We caught a train down there. I went to the front of the queue and was given tickets straight away. In the railway carriage a German officer started talking to me and I struggled to reply in German! But when he soon found out I was English, he was pleased as he wanted to try out his English on me! We travelled back to Dűsseldorf by boat, we had a wonderful time. By the time we returned to Gisela’s home and I took my boot off, all the skin had come off my toe. I took it easy for the rest of the week.

Gisela’s family had been a long time without much food. I suggested to her brother Heinz that he should wear my army uniform, and take himself to our regimental club named the 94 club, and buy himself and eat some cakes there. So he did just that, and had a feast. The lady serving him asked for one and one instead of one shilling and one penny. He held out a handful of change to her, she took the amount needed. That was close! Gisela’s parents had a fit when they found out Heinz had worn my uniform, as had he been found out, he would have had to serve 2 years in jail! I had some photos taken of myself in his civilian suit, it looked good! Soon the week was over and I had to return to Senelage. We spent about 6 months there. Ronnie Turland my friend had to return to Wuppertal, while I had to return to Metmann, near Dűsseldorf, to my regiment, I hated it there.

Before long I was given orders, along with my friend Bill Butt, to go to Herzburg, in the mountains, to join an army of woodpeckers, timber felling. We loved it there. Each morning instead of going on parade, we went with our axe and saw under our arm, had a ride on a 3 tonner and disappeared into the forest to chop down selected trees. Half the forest belonged to us, and the other half to the Russians. Soon I met up with Major Cadger again, he was disgusted that I had been demoted for no reason at all. The NAFFI used to bring us a supply of tea and cakes each morning, a cup of tea and a piece of cake cost us 3 pence, which we had to pay for, but we enjoyed that! Many weekends we had a pass to hitch hike down to Dűsseldorf, Bill went to see his girlfriend called Adda. Before long many of the men were doing the same thing. Later on Bill and I were able to arrange a little holiday for our girls to come and stay near us in a cottage. We secured the rooms in a cottage for a couple of bars of soap and 2 bars of chocolate, the owners were happy with that. We had a lovely time together, it was such a beautiful place in the forest.

We noticed fur on the stumps of the trees one day. We were told there was wild boar in the forest at night, which used to be Kaiser Wilhelm’s hunting grounds. I persuaded my boss to let some men and I have some ammunition and to go hunting at night, as we quite fancied wild boar meat. After all if the Kaiser had enjoyed the taste, it would have been good enough for us! We did this, but having heard grunting in the dark forest without being able to find where it was coming from we soon gave up and reported no bore to be seen. The truth was, we were too scared!

On occasions our duties also included being on fire watch. Fires could be caused by soldiers stubbing out cigarettes in the forest. This was not a pleasant duty.

Our woodpecker days were coming to an end, soon we were to be demobbed. Bill Butt and other friends had already gone as he was a little older than me so was demobbed before me. One night after seeing Gisela while she’d been staying nearby, I arrived back in camp late. On this occasion I was noticed and put on a charge for returning late. Apparently the Major’s daughter had been raped and all soldiers returning late were put on a charge. I didn’t know what this was all about until the following morning. I was then confined to barracks for the next 7 days as punishment. I got one of the lads to take Gisela some sandwiches one day, as she had little food. They were corned beef sandwiches; she still says from that day to this that they were the best sandwiches she had ever tasted! One night I persuaded one of the lads to go out on parade in my place and answer my name for jankers, for 10 bob! He did this and I sneaked out to see Gisela. That was a sad time as we were all set to enjoy ourselves and to go out for walks in the countryside. When my jankers were over, I managed to see Gisela a few more times before she had to return to Dűsseldorf where she worked for the Control Commission of Germany, she had a good job. My passes to Dussledorf were less and less as more of our chaps became demobbed.

A polish driver was later charged with the rape of the Mayor’s daughter.

Soon I returned to Dűsseldorf to prepare to be demobbed. I had to return my equipment and my duties became less and less. Gisela and I became engaged without rings. We had a lovely engagement party when Adda came along, Bill Butt’s girlfriend. I did not want to leave Dűsseldorf, Bill Butt agreed with me that they had been the best days of our life. We travelled to Dover and from there to York. I stayed there 2 days, was given a civilian suit to wear, and was demobbed. The WW2 days were now well and truly over, I felt I had done well to survive. Luck had been on my side, but what a waste for all those lovely lads who hadn’t made it!

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